I am a 27-year-young millennial who lives in my rural hometown (after an adventure away for my master’s degree and most of my PhD coursework). I have a million different interests and strongly identify with the term “multipotentialite“. I hope to explore just some of those interests on this blog (and maybe on some of my other platforms!), and I’m excited to take you all along with me on this journey.

What can you expect to encounter on this blog?

Education. I’m currently finishing up coursework for a PhD in Higher Education. Next step is passing my comprehensive exams, followed by a prospectus writing and defense. Both of those goals are on the docket for 2023!

Running. With a goal of running a marathon in all 50 states, I’m usually training (somewhat poorly) for my next marathon. I’ve run 10 marathons in 9 states since my first in 2015, with 3 more on the immediate race calendar. I’m a Bronze-level Marathon Maniac twice over, having done 3 marathons in less than 90 days in both 2018 and 2019/2020. I am also a member of the back of the pack party, love me a good early start before the sun comes up, and have completed the Dopey Challenge at Walt Disney World.

Crafts. I’ve had a variety of craft-related hobbies over the years, from paint-by-numbers to woodworking to my current obsession of quilting. I love taking fabric and making it into something that can be enjoyed for decades to come. I’ve bitterly not-placed in county fairs in two different states with my work, but that doesn’t mean I’ll stop trying. With a home purchase coming up quickly, I also will be taking on some interior decorating and design to make it everything I want in a forever home.

Chronic Illness. I was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder in 2009, which sounds like way more of a bummer than it actually is. Thanks to over a decade of therapy, counseling, and psychiatry (shout out to my SNRI), both are relatively-well-controlled and allow me to live as close to a “normal life” as I could’ve ever hoped for. In addition, I began suffering from symptoms of Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS) in 2020 – and this is a case where I don’t take the term “suffering” lightly. After a relatively quick diagnostic process (less than a year!), I’ve tried a slew of antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, hormonal treatments, and am currently taking a biologic every other week to (mostly) control my symptoms.

Money. I am a HUGE personal finance geek. I don’t know if I can overstate how much joy it brings me to just check in on my budget every day. I’m adamant about my retirement savings, know exactly what’s worth it to spend my money on (based on my own personal preferences and wants), and am always thinking about how I can make my life easier by making my money work for me. I’m a YNAB devotee (my referral link is here, and we can both get a free month on our subscription!) and have watched my net worth go from negative five figures to positive five figures in less than four years.

Reading. My eternal Reading Challenge on Goodreads is to complete 100 books a year. Some years, that gets blown out of the water while other years are much closer to the wire. I like a mix of nonfiction, young adult, romance, historical fiction, and thrillers (according to my reading stat tracker) but will read almost anything at least once. Reading a wide variety of books from a large assortment of authors is always a goal of mine, but I can’t say no to a great Stephen King re-read.

Personal Development. Always a fan of resets, budgeting videos, personal development, self-help, and other life improvement-related topics, development of myself as a complex individual within the larger structures of society is something that I’m always pursuing. There will always be some things that I want to share that don’t fit neatly in other boxes, but this is usually my catch-all!

Best,
Me, Tory D.